The Book Of Ebios

1. Placed In The Center

I was only exploring, I was only curious. I was only a kid.

I lay here, scared and weak. I know I should have listened, but I was too scared not to try. I was only trying to help. Now I pay the price. I held onto the book the best I could, but I felt my grip slowly loosen. I had no strength left, not even enough to scream for help. I was hopeless. Alone. I knew the only way to save myself wasn't possible, not in the time I had left. I was scared, no, I was petrified of what was to come. The cold, wet concrete attempted to cradle me while I was submerged in my final thoughts. My surroundings flickered. It was dark, then light, then dark again. I let my eyes fall closed as I could no longer keep them open. I could no longer feel the strength it gave me. It was dead.

...

I wandered through the woods behind my house, yes it was cold, but I didn't care. I just moved into Pixie Point, a small town by the ocean, with my parents. My father insisted that they move with me to ensure my safety. I had just turned eighteen and planned to go to college for nursing in a neighboring town next semester. The campus was a two-hour drive, so my new plan is to stay in the dorms, which is why my father declared one last family move. I told them they did not have to, that I would be fine. I would find an apartment, which I failed to do, and go to school then to work, and visit them during breaks. My father shut down that idea before I could even blink. It was alright though. The house is small and cozy with a decent-sized yard, fenced-in yard. The town sounded like it would be cheerful and sunny twenty-four-seven, but boy was I wrong.

I continued to walk through the woods behind our house. I told my parents I wouldn't be too far, that I would be back for dinner. The trees waved at me viciously, crows cawed, and wolves howled in the distance. They sky darkened as a storm rolled in. I walked a bit further before I was forced to turn back. I wished I grabbed more than my jean jacket, maybe a hat to keep the falling leaves out of my hair and to keep my ears from freezing. I pulled the dark, poofy, frizzy nest I called hair out of my loose ponytail. I thought it might help keep me warm... it didn't. I walked further into the woods, I must have been a mile away from home by now. I turned to head back when I heard an odd voice coming from a cave. It didn't sound like a man or a woman, not even a child. I would have said it was demonic if it wasn't for the soothing tone behind it. I felt it drawing me closer. I wanted to go in, I wanted to find the one who was calling for me. A rumble of thunder pulled me out of my daze. I turned away from the calling... whatever it was and made my way back home.

I walked into the house as my mom placed a large bowl of homemade mashed potatoes and thick, creamy gravy onto the table. My mom's specialty. The oven let out a cry to warn my father, who just stepped into the kitchen, that the meatloaf was done. He placed an oven mitt over his callused hands and pulled the meatloaf with bubbling, glazed ketchup out of the oven.

"Hey, sweetie. How was your walk?" my mother asked as she carefully placed three forks and napkins next to the already set plates.

"It was nice. The woods are quite pretty with the changing leaves falling," I placed my muddy books at the back door as a reminder to wash them later.

Dad pulled out my mother's chair, signaling for her to sit while he cut the meatloaf.

"Why don't you go get washed up real quick, princess? Food will be plated by the time you get back." Dad grabbed a knife from the dishwasher as I smiled and went to wash up.

When I returned, Dad kept his promise and the food was plated. He pulled out my chair and kissed the top of my head as I sat down. The placemats were lost in one of the boxes amongst the field that still sat in the living room. The kitchen was mostly clear, with only a couple of boxes in the far corner.

"Seems like you got home just in time," Mom said as the rain started to pound the roof, "What did you find on your exploration? Anything interesting?"

"Not really, just a small cave. I might check it out a little bit tomorrow after lunch."

"Oh you be careful, princess," said my dad as he whipped his graying mustache clean, "Make sure you take a flashlight and a charged phone."

"I will, Dad," I groaned.

"Hey, just trying to help."

We sat quietly, finishing the delicious dinner my parents served up. I scrubbed the pots and pans, then placed them in the dishwasher to finish their deep clean. Once I was finished, I went upstairs and put on comfy pajamas. I slipped my necklace off, the one my father gave me as a graduation gift. My name and birthday were engraved on the back of the heart-shaped silver pendant, and on the front, the words "forever loved" were engraved in cursive. I walked to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my hair but stopped when a whisper started to call me into the woods. I stared out the hallway window, mesmerized. Something wanted me, but I didn't know what. I shook off the feeling and continued into the bathroom.

...

The sun crept slowly into the window, waking me up in the process. I reached over to check the time, it was only seven in the morning. I never found myself sleeping in, it was almost impossible for me at this point. I slipped on my slippers and placed my necklace around my neck. It was cold against my skin. I put my hair up into a messy bun, grabbed my robe, and walked downstairs. I opened the front door to grab the paper and whatever mail there was. It was mostly junk mail, promotional things, and my mom's magazine. I grabbed it anyway. I placed the paper on the table next to my dad's cup of coffee, he thanked me and sipped his coffee. Mom walked in with her hair up in a towel and grabbed her magazine off the counter.

"Good morning everyone," I said as I grabbed a bowl to pour myself a bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, princess. How did you sleep now that everything is unpacked in your room?" my dad asked as he flipped to the comic section of the paper.

"I slept well, thank you. How about you guys?"

"Oh I slept like a baby, darling," my mom smiled as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, a loud one," he mocked her snoring and chuckled as my mom hit him with the magazine she had in her hand.

I laughed. I would miss this when I left, I really would. I promised myself and them that I would call every day, no matter how buys I was. I ate my breakfast and went to take a shower. I grabbed my lotion for my caramel-looking skin. I hopped into the shower then the same whisper from last night started calling my name.

Trinity.

It repeated many times before I got out of the steamy bathroom. What did this... thing... want from me? The desperate yet soothing tone behind the whisper only made me more and more curious. Was I going crazy? No, I couldn't be. It must be my imagination trying to make something fun for myself to do. It was rather quiet in this small town. Not many kids. The school looked small, and there was only one. The clock on my phone hit nine as I dried my long, black hair before brushing it and putting it in a braid. I got dressed in fall-type clothing. I grabbed my heavy jacket and a hat this time, before heading out the door. I walked towards the center of town where there were many shops. I looked around for a library. I needed a library card. Not reading the past few days has been driving me crazy. I also wanted to use the Wi-Fi to check my i********: and email. My dad wasn't able to get the internet company to come to hook up our Wi-Fi yet. Cell reception wasn't all that great in out house. I walked into the library. The wood of the bookshelves were weak, splitting, making it easy to get a splinter. It smelled musty and the carpets were stained with all sorts of colors. A few lights were out and the curtains were closed, making it even darker. I sat on an old chair that creaked beneath me. I wasn't too sure about this place. It didn't give off the welcoming feeling I was expecting. An elderly woman walked out from a room behind the counter and walked over to me.

"How can I help you?" She tried to ask, but her shaky voice made things hard to understand.

"I just need a library card, ma'am."

She signaled for me to meet her at the front desk. She smelled of mothballs and cheap perfume. Her white hair was up in a small bun that rested gently on top of her fragile head. She began to type something into the computer before asking my name.

"Trinity, Trinity Davis."

"What a pretty name for a pretty girl," the woman said with a shaky voice. "How old are you, Trinity?"

I gave her the rest of the information she asked for. The woman handed me a card and asked if I would like any help. I said yes and sked her to direct me toward adult mysteries. She pointed to a small, dark corner. I walked over to the shelves that smelled of old books. I scanned through the selection. Most books were old and torn, but still readable. There were a few newer books made by rising authors and already famous ones. I pulled out a book that seemed interesting, read the back, and went to the front desk to check out. I asked if they planned to get new books. She answered "someday, but not today," and walked into the back. I left the library. The outside looked promising with a modern touch, but the inside shared a different story. I made my way back home. I wanted to check out the cave, but I was too afraid to. The voice that seemed to be coming from it was odd. I wanted to run from it, but it only drew me closer. It mesmerized me and put me into a daze. It wasn't a comfortable feeling, making the hair on my arms stand frozen and goosebumps turn my skin polka-dotted. But I had to see what called out to me. Maybe I heard someone call for help, convinced myself it was nothing, and not my conscience won't let me forget I had let someone suffer. If that was the case, I had to go back, I had to see who called for my help.

I entered the house through the back door, put my stuff down, and put my rain boots on. I had forgotten to clean them, glad I didn't though, it would have been a waste of time. I left a note to my parents that I had returned from the library, then left for a walk and would be back soon. I wasn't too sure what "soon" meant. If I had to save someone from the cave, I wouldn't be back "soon". I added a side note saying I loved them and would bring back some firewood for the fireplace and leave it to dry in the back hall. My parents and I preferred fresh wood to burn, it gave off a forestry scent because of the burning moss. I drew a little heart and a smiley face at the end of the note. I grabbed a flashlight and my phone, then headed out the door.

...

I stood outside the cave's entrance. A few tree branches hung low enough to hide it. You wouldn't be able to tell there was a cave unless you stood directly in front of it. Tall grass and flowers grew inside. Up the walls were vines, some thorned, some not. I took a step further into the cave. A faint humming came from deep withing the darkness. I instantly felt my toes and fingertips freeze from the gust of wind that carried a faint "come" with it. I never knew my heart was able to race as fast as it was. My sight started the blur as I went deeper and deeper into the pitch-black abyss. The ground below my feet was smooth, too smooth for a cave. I expected there to be holes that led to another path or at least jagged rocks and stones. But there were none. It was a smooth, circular path. I continued making my way into the cave, trying to keep my breathing at a steady pace to avoid panic. I pulled my hat down further over my ears. As I walked, I could see my breath appear in the beam of light I projected ahead. The beam of light started to flicker. I smacked the flashlight a few times. The batteries died. Great, now I had to use my phone for the flashlight. At this point, I had forgotten why I was traveling down the dark cave. Was I really here to look for someone? Or was I here to explore and set my curious mind at ease? I didn't know, maybe both? I kept walking, now using up precious battery that may become useful. I did not heat a single bat or rat as I walked, only the faint "come" that was carried in a slight gust of wind. There rad to be an exit at the end of the tunnel. Where did it lead? I not no clue. I wish I had waited for my dad to return home. This would have been a great father-daughter bonding experience. Now I wasn't sure if I was going to make it out in the next hour. I shook the thought out of my mind. I didn't need any negativity right now, only happy thoughts were allowed to enter my mind from this point forward.

...

I have been walking for almost thirty minutes. There was still no sign of anyone or any sort of distress. Maybe I was just hearing things, maybe I was just giving myself something interesting to do. I continued to walk, thinking about whatever came to mind. I never thought I would be so nervous to walk through a cave before. It seemed so simple, just walk with a flashlight and beam the light forward to light your path. But it didn't seem that easy to me. It felt like I was on a mission for the FBI to uncover dark secrets hidden in this cave. I have officially lost signal. If I got lost, there would be no way anyone would be able to find me. I would leave my parents devastated. My last few words to them would be on a notepad left on the kitchen counter. Our last memory together would thankfully be a good one, but nothing would be special about it. This morning was just the same old morning ritual and routine. I would never be able to forgive myself for leaving them. Who would with parents like mine?

I finally reached a point in my walk where something... strange happens. A faint light pierced around the corner. At first I thought it may have been a flashlight or a lantern of some sort. I looked around the corner to find a book floating above a white, fancy pedestal. I walked up to it warily. Slow and steady the whole way. The floating book was placed in the center of a large, circular room, giving off enough light to fill a few feet. I stepped into the circle of light. Candles in the wall flared up, filling the rest of the room with light. I felt like I was in a movie. The book has unusual carved pictures and words all over it. I now knew I was never looking for a damsel in distress, I was looking for this book. I felt it drawing me in closer and closer. My heart felt like a car trying to keep the lead in the final race of the season. I desperately wanted to pull away, free myself from its grasp. But at the same time, I wanted to touch it. I slowly placed my hand on the carvings that were placed in the center. Bump bump, bump bump. It had a heartbeat. A book had a heartbeat. I pulled my hand away quickly. How was this possible? I had to learn more. I slowly opened the book to the first page. A large gust of wind picked up around me, like a tornado rolling through. My heart raced faster and faster as my hair whipped all over the place. The pages of the book flipped to a page almost at the very end. "My sole protector", it said and my name, Trinity Davis, appeared on the line below it. The wind stopped, the book closed, and a blast of wind flew me a few feet before hitting my head and falling unconscious.